10 Largest Lakes in New Zealand

Spoiler alert: most of them are on the South Island

In New Zealand, you are never too far away from water! If it’s not by the fact that you will never be more than 2h30mins away from the sea, it’s because you will be near one of the 775 lakes on New Zealand’s mainland! And in true Kiwi fashion, this top list is celebrating the biggest of New Zealand’s bodies of water! 8 out of our top 10 largest lakes are formed by glaciers on the South Island, while the rest are here thanks to volcanic activity creating huge crater lakes! All of them offer something different in terms of appearance and watersport activities, so try to tick them off your bucket list while travelling in New Zealand.

1. Lake Taupo

This 623-square-kilometre volcanic lake trumps this top 10 list by far! It is almost twice the size than the second lake on this list and is said to be bigger than the whole of Singapore. The whole Lake Taupo area is well worth exploring in-depth so check out our Lake Taupo Guide.

5. Lake Wanaka

So close! By being only 2 square kilometres smaller than Lake Te Waihora, Lake Wanaka drops to number 5 on our list. The surroundings of the lake were home to many Lord of the Rings’ filming locations good to know for those with an agenda!